Evaluation of ultrasonographic predictors of alpha-blocker mono-therapy failure in symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement

OBJECTIVES: Many sonographic parameters for predicting treatment failure for benign prostate enlargement have been described. Patients may take alpha-blockers for a long time at high cost before conversion to surgery. PURPOSE: Evaluation of the sonographic parameters that predict alpha 1 adrenoreceptor blocker monotherapy outcomes in symptomatic patients with benign prostate enlargement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 2016 and July 2019, we prospectively enrolled 750 symptomatic patients with benign prostate enlargement. Trans-rectal ultrasonography was performed, and patients were given Tamsulosin (0.4 mg) oral tablets once daily for 6 months. Treatment outcomes were determined using quality of life, the International Prostatic Symptom Score, and maximum urine flow rate measures. The values of the measured baseline sonographic parameters on treatment outcomes were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Seven-hundred and fifty patients completed the study, and treatment was ineffective in 225 of them (30%). From the measured prostate and bladder sonographic parameters, intra-vesical prostate growth was only significant. Using a cutoff value of 8.2 mm, the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for intra-vesical prostatic protrusion was 0.866. Using this cutoff value (with 95% confidence interval), both positive and negative predictive values were 73.3% and 98.18%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on sonographic parameters, only the intravesical prostate protrusion was valid for predicting alpha-blocker monotherapy failure in symptomatic benign prostate enlargement patients. This information helps determine a medical therapeutic plan and the need for surgical intervention.